


And a pain behind the eyes

by LordDWH



Category: Original Work
Genre: Childhood Friends, Crimes & Criminals, Death, Detectives, Drama, Grief/Mourning, Light Angst, Original Character(s), Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:35:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29973312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LordDWH/pseuds/LordDWH
Summary: For the first few years of working she became a recognized face in the city she grew up, many people asking for her help specifically instead of waiting for some random police officer to do whatever job they needed. For five years she had built up an honest reputation, but unfortunately these good things could never last for too long and when one mistake brought everything down her reputation would slowly grow tarnished.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	And a pain behind the eyes

Her hand reached forward, reaching for the revolver that lay just a few feet away. Each time she tried to pull herself forward he would grab hold of her leg and pull her back, stopping any progression. No matter how many times she fought and hit him he was in a much better state currently than she ever had been and if she could not get that gun then she doubted she would survive this.

* * *

Eddie Quinn by no means a gentleman with a small name. He was known far and wide for his services, accumulating a following of fans that stretched farther than the small city he was from. 

He was a hero to many, especially Eleanora who looked up to him for as long as she could remember. Back when she was a teenager, living in the city with her parents she would have many posters decorating her room of Quinn. It was through his influence did she finally become a detective after dreaming of such a career for a very long time.

For the first few years of working she became a recognized face in the city she grew up, many people asking for her help specifically instead of waiting for some random police officer to do whatever job they needed. For five years she had built up an honest reputation, but unfortunately, these good things could never last for too long and when one mistake brought everything down her reputation would slowly grow tarnished.

It was a slow descent for Eleanora's great name to become damaged, it started with her not working as efficiently as she once was and when a few too many cases were left in situations worse than started then restrictions were put in place on what she could and could not do, eventually her career as a detective ended up stripped from her when she failed to show up at work one day too many.

Had this been the old Eleanora then she would be distraught about the outcome.

She didn't care for that work anymore. She didn't care for most things. It was after that did she lose a large majority of the people she once called friends, it took one small argument and they were eager to walk out of her life indefinitely. But Andrew Winters, no matter what stuck around.

She wouldn't admit it, no matter how hard she was begged. But Eleanora was glad that he was there no matter what. She wasn't sure how she could survive without at least one friend to look forward too when she woke up in the mornings.

When everyone else was lost, he stuck around throughout the pain and the sorrow, always a light at the end of a dark tunnel and an inspiration to keep thriving despite the hardships faced.

It made living easier. Nicer.

* * *

Just because she wasn't a detective anymore didn't mean she didn't hang around, listening in over the radios and scanners but there wasn't anything remotely interesting that came up, or anything that called to her. Hours she would spend, sitting alone in her car and waiting for a job that she could work on discreetly but there was always the same old cases of fights downtown, never anything else.

That was probably why being fired wasn't as bad as she should have found it. Life got boring after Quinn, it seemed he had locked up almost all the smart criminals and the few henchmen they left behind either turned clean or she got them later on.

So when there was nothing else left, then what was the point in continuing?

She had used that logic before, a long time ago. Andrew was with her then just as he always has been, he saved her that night from herself something she both admired and hated him for. Since then he never really left her side and often sat with her during these long hours just so she wasn't alone, and to give him peace of mind that she was taken care of.

Eleanora liked the silence but after so long it wore on, became sufferable all around and painful to sit through. Her concentration required it and he knew just how much she hated to have her thoughts interrupted.

His fingers tapped nervous against his arm, just to keep occupied and his fidgeting irked her enough that she peeled her eyes from the road and over to him. When he noticed she was now staring at him he gave her a small grin and a gentle wave but Eleanora appeared less than amused. 

“You've lasted longer than two hours before, Andrew…” She whispered, checking her watch for the time while talking. Her companion nodded ever so gently, placing a hand on the steering wheel and now drumming his fingers against the surface.

“That was before this got old. You need something better to do to waste time... like another job or at least a hobby.” Andrew let out a long sigh and when he finally looked back her way he noticed the scowl, couldn't help but chuckle much to her bemusement. 

“I have to do this, Andrew,” Eleanora said. He knew it had to be part of the mourning process and was to support her through all of this, like he promised he would, but there was just so much that he could handle.

“I know.” He leaned back against the car seat. “I know.”

They sat together in silence, this awkward tension in the air amongst them. Both had a lot to say but bit back on their tongues to not let any harsher words slip-free, but after a while it grew too much for Eleanora to just sit and sulk knowing she may have upset her friend.

She let out a long sigh. “You're really that bored?”

He nodded. Eleanora diverted her gaze but he saw the conflicting thoughts across her face, she was trying to decide something, but what? 

With time she eventually settled on an answer but he knew it wasn't one she was so keen on, from the way she let out a sharp exhale of her or how she threw herself back into a more sensible position for a car journey. “Right, let's go then shall we? Get food or something along those lines.”

“Please.”

* * *

Eleanora played more with the food on her plate than she did eat it and even with the change of scenery and objective she was still adamant about sitting and listening. At least she was convinced enough to stop briefly and he could admire the dreary buildings in the rain while he ate his fries, but listening for a false job just wasn't his ideal way to spend a morning.

He was ready to finish his meal, start the car and head back home regardless of what she had to say before a static broke through loudly. They both jumped at the noise before Eleanora told him to be quiet and listen in.

There wasn't anything interesting at first, just the mention of an old building far from the city that was brought into question over suspicious behaviour and Eleanora was ready to call it quits then and there, but soon some interesting information was thrown in about it. Despite it supposedly being abandoned there had been a few reports of missing people from the area, not the odd singular case but apparently four separate instances.

This was a blessing in itself, just when luck was looking down on them it turned itself around. Eleanora was ecstatic when it ended while her friend sat pale in his seat.

“You hear that, Andrew?” She chimed, giving him a hopeful smile.

“Yes. Yes, I did.”

“I know where that place is, Quinn wrote about it once in his notes while I was snooping so I went to check it out.”

“You're not-”

“I am suggesting we go right now, why wouldn't I?”

Andrew let out a groan as he ran his hand down his face, giving her a frown while she buckled up. “You're not supposed to go around playing detective.”

“I was a detective, I'm just working after retirement.”

“Eleanora.”

“Andrew, I have to do this.” He couldn't say no to her, not with the way she was. She was a stubborn character so even if he refused she would find a way regardless, it was just up to him to know what she should do alone or with supervision. 

He let out a long sigh. “Alright. But you gotta be careful and if I think that you're not safe then I'm taking you home, understand?”

“Thank you.”

“Understand?”

“Yes, of course I do… now let's go before someone else gets there.”

Andrew couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm, not seeing her be this happy since… since before. It was refreshing to have a glimpse of his old friend back and if reminding of the thing she loved most was what made it possible, then what could be the harm of one final investigation?


End file.
